Monday, February 22, 2010

Go Out and Find the Literary Events Near You


I love to attend literary events in NYC. I like to go to book readings, lectures, and book club conversations. I enjoy concerts, speeches, and theater as well! Guess what? So do kids!

This past fall, Brooklyn had their annual Book Festival! There were three tents just designed just for kids. They had authors reading to toddlers as well as to high school students. They had book signings where you could to meet the author. There were zillions of booths of book sellers selling their newest and hip-est books! We met Kate Dicamilio, we found a new favorite author Coe Booth and even caught the tail end of Mo Willems! If you get to go one, don't miss it. Washington DC hosted the National Book Festival. Miami had a wonderful international book festival this year as well. Denver's book festival is coming up!

Local libraries and bookshops often host a story hour for different ages. I remember that Big Girl C and Baby E are such regulars at their library they have friends they have met there and know the librarians by name. After story hour- the two of them come home with 10 new books- to keep until the next book reading.

Some bookshops host poetry readings for kids to read their favorite poems- either published or self made. Some have events like, puppet shows, literary craft activities, or 'Literary Love-Ins'.

My first kid concert was quite an event, I saw Dan Zanes with M and A. His music draws upon different languages and cultures as well as nursery rhymes and American folk music.

Auntie ME took her niece, 6 years old, to her first musical. A musical that they had been watching and listening to at home! Seeing it live on stage brought about the whole literary experience and love for theater.

Find events in your neighborhood or city where you can celebrate reading and writing!

2 comments:

  1. My niece is obsessed with the Nutcracker after she read a picturebook version of it over and over again during the holidays, then got to see the real thing when she came to visit NYC this winter. Now she's read the book, seen the show, the film version of it, and she listens to the music constantly. Combining the written version of a story with an experience/event is such a powerful experience for little kids!

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  2. Love it! One feeds the other! Kids can do so much.

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